Chart Manual Install

Chart Downloader [876] is the easier, preferred way to install charts, but at times manual techniques are useful.

For this example, we will use the freely distributed NOAA US charts. NOAA's Chart Download website [877] Bring this page up in your browser. On the left,

Click on Download ENCs (electronic navigational charts for Vector Style charts ENC (vs Raster Charts)[878]

Download your desired region. For this example, we selected the State of California, CA_ENCs.zip

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Unzip all those folders (US1EEZ1M, etc…) to a location on your hard drive. For this example we used My Documents/charts.

Start OpenCPN, and point it to your chart directory Settings > Charts > Chart Files > Add Directory (remember My Documents is actually something like C:\Users\user-name\Documents\Charts)

Click Select Folder

Tick boxes “Scan Charts and Update Database” and “Force Full Database Rebuild”

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Fix up a few of your Chart settings, mine are below, more info Vector Display Tab [879]

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Check your new ENC charts into the Chart Downloader to stay current with Chart Updates, more info Chart Downloader Tab [880]

Go to Settings > Charts > Chart Downloader Click Add and navigate to the section that you downloaded. For example it is USA > ENC > by States > CA - California

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You should also hit the Select Folder button and navigate to where you put your ENC charts. Once you hit OK on that window, a list of all your charts should populate in the bottom half of the window.

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Click Update All, and your charts will update, and continue to update. that's it!